 Celebrating 50 Years of Educating San Diego’s Business Leaders
What do leading San Diego companies Costco, Jack in the Box, SAIC, Union Bank of California, KPMG and Sempra Utilities have in common? Their top executives are all alumni of SDSU’s College of Business Administration (CBA).
Hence, the college chose the theme “50 Years of Educating San Diego’s Business Leaders” as it prepares to celebrate its first half century of success.
Although business courses were taught at SDSU as far back as 1922 in the division of social sciences, the CBA of today began to take shape in the 1955-56 academic year, when it embarked on an accreditation process through the Association to Advance the Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The college was authorized to grant a Master of Science degree in business administration in September 1955, and majors were offered in accounting, business management, industrial management, personnel management, finance, marketing and insurance.
By April 1956, the undergraduate B.S. degree consisted of four disciplines: accounting, management, marketing and business education. By 1959, the CBA became the first CSU business college to become accredited, joining a small group of business schools such as Harvard, Northwestern, Cornell and Stanford. Today, nearly 500 AACSB-accredited schools exist worldwide, of which San Diego State’s CBA is the 12th largest.
With more than 5,500 students enrolled, 100 full-time and part-time faculty employed and nearly 1,500 undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded in May, the college is a major force in San Diego. Nearly 60 percent of its 40,000 alumni have remained in San Diego to contribute to the local economy.
Allan Bailey, dean from 1979 to 1987, and currently treasurer/CFO of SDSU’s philanthropic arm, the Campanile Foundation, said the college has come a long way in his 38 years on campus. “It has been incredible to be part of the growth and development of the College of Business and to experience first-hand the impact of our students and faculty on the San Diego business community,” said Bailey. “That is why San Diego is linked so closely with SDSU. We continue to excel in providing the type and quality of employees who go on to become the leaders of tomorrow. CBA alumni can be found working all over the globe, demonstrating that we provide both local solutions and global innovation."
Responding to the needs of the business community is a top priority for CBA Dean Gail Naughton. With a strong background in the business sector, she has implemented innovative new programs that respond to local needs. For example, Naughton tapped local companies like Invitrogen and Pfizer to support a joint Ph.D./MBA in life sciences to help scientists navigate the complexities of bringing their inventions to market.
The CBA also began a new sports business management MBA offering student internships with sport organizations like the San Diego Padres and Chargers, the Chicago Cubs and Bulls, the Acura Tennis Classic, the Anaheim Angels, the Boston Red Sox , the Callaway Golf Company, Fox Sports–LA, Nike and PGA Corporate Offices.
During Naughton’s tenure, the college’s joint international business program has climbed into the top 10 in national rankings, and the entrepreneur program has maintained its status as one of the best in the country. Recent donations for the real estate program will ensure it remains the premiere program of its type in the region.
Naughton promises this will be a milestone year for the CBA. “We are working diligently to raise funding for endowments to help to recruit and retain new faculty. Additionally, we are identifying donors to name our college and our new building, which is in the planning stages. Success in these endeavors will bring the prestige our college deserves to adequately compete with the top B-schools in the country.”
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